Search



i038 REFERENCE PATENT EXPLOSWE.

310?! forming part of Letters Patent No. 516,295,datcd March 1.3, 189%.

Application fil d November 28, 1892, Serial No, 153,403.. (No specimens.) Patented in England January 21, 1889, 1%, 1,116.

To @Zl whom 7125 may concern:

Be it hnown that l, HERBERT MANNING CHAPMAN, a subject of the Queen oi England, residinget Triniley, in the countyof Suffolk, England, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in orRela-ting 'tothellllanufactnre or 'lreatnien t of Explosives, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent Great Britain, No. 1,115, dated January 21,1889,)oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the treatment of explosives and may be applied to existing Well-known forms of explosives such for instance as intro-explosives certain of which after special treatment are particularly well adapted as smokeless or comparatively smokelesspropelling agents in small arms and 0rd;/ nancc. l prefer to treat the explosive material with a solvent suited to the nature of the explosive. In contriuance of the proeesetho solvent is evaporated and the explosive left in a hard, agglomerato and generally brittle form adapted for use in block or sheet or for cutting up into grains. If preferred While still soft the explosive can be molded or otherwise made into any desired form. \Vhere it is desired to reduce the rapidity of the explosion moderatms or comhustibles such as gums, resins, sulphur, charcoal, or the like, may be incorporated with the explosive but preferably of such a nature as to dissolve with the explosive, with which it is incorporated. The action oi the dissolving or gelatinizing agent may be assisted by heat, agita tion, mixing or the like, in a closed vessel.

Before proceeding with the description of the process by which the explosives are treated I may mention that in. the aggloznew ation of certain riitrooxylosives may be particnlarized the following; method, viz: that in which the aggloineratiug agent such as formic other is evaporated or distilled or a1- lowed to cvaporatooit completely. ltwilloe understood that when using the golatinizing agent it is necessary oratloastadvantageous to mix with it esnllicient quabtiiyof volatile liquid such as henzol, benzclide, or othersuih able liquid so that by increasing the bull: of the gelatinizing liquid or solid it is brought into thorough. contact with every part of the mass, the volatile portion being afterward removed.

In order that the process in ay be thoroughly understood I will now give examples of the methods of preparing the nitroexplosives and it is to be understood that wherever used. in this specification by the word parts I invariably mean parts by weight; and by gun cotton I mean the commercial kind usually containing from eight to twelve per cent. of soluble intro-cotton.

To prepare the nitro-explosive according to the first method I talceninety-twc goarts of dry pulped gun-cotton and eight parts of rosin and having mixed them Well together by sieving or drumming and pressed them moderately tightly into a mixing machine I afterward pour into the mixing machine a mixture of from forty to sizrty iarts of formic other added to'one hundred and twenty to' one hundred and ninety-live parts of bouzole. After ashort time has been allowed for the solvents to permeate the mass, the mixing machine is operated until a sample shows that the ingredients have become thoroughly incorporated. Instead of effecting the mixing by mechanical means it can be done by hand as in making or kneading dough. The mass SEARCH ROOM taken out of the mixing machine in any convenient manner is formed into pellets, of any desired shape or into sheets or strips or other form convenient for being broken or out up into grains. If formed into a continuous sheet the said sheet is out into suitable lengths and placed into a retort wherein the explosive is raised to such a temperature that the solvents will be evaporated and may afterward be conveyed to a suitable condenser. The grains are then put into a sieve wherein the dust is removed, this dust together with that formed in the granulating machine being afterward Worked up into another batch of the explosive material. By the sitting process also the grains may be assorted as to size which will of course vary according to the purpose for which they are required. When oxidizingagents are necessary to mod ify the rate of explosion, I employ the nitrate of soda or potash.

Among the moderators may be men- :0 transport, for loading cartridges, for regutioned the gums and resins such as shellac, colophony or rosin, sulphur, charcoai, black or brown, or other combustibies suitable for edge has it been used for geietiniziug genociton as is done according to this invemion.

I e1aimthe purpose.

I-ettach very especial importance to the hard agglomerate qualities imparted to the In,testimony whereof I have hereto set my nitro-explosive by the process of gelatinizahand in the presence of the two subscribing tion because experience has taught me that I Witnesses.

an ogglomeroting agenfi of formic ether.

1t 15 then In the condition best adapeed for HERBERT MANNING CHAPEL: larity in shooting qualities, for chemical sta- Witnesses: bility and for resisting alternations of tern: CHARLES E. ROSE, perature and moisture in any ciima ce, as this High HoZbom, London, treatment has rendered it Waterproof. THOMAS LAKE,

I am aware that camphor has oeen used for Nomrys Clerk, 17 Gracediurcii Szfrccf, 1o hardening explosives but never to mykn0wi- (1021,15. C.

The combination. with e. nine-explosive as 2' 

